Advance praise for permission
Marvelous, passionate, and charming …. — Anne Lamott
I can’t think of a better book on the craft of memoir….This is a masterclass. — Katherine May
This insightful, empowering book should be on every writer’s shelf. — Maggie Smith
The work of writing requires a kind of rigorous solitude. Within that solitude, voices emerge, at times whispering, at times shouting what right? How dare you? This wise and beautiful book is the perfect antidote. A true gem. “ Dani Shapiro
In this astonishingly beautiful book, Altman articulates the ethics of writing the truth about trauma as a means of survival. Permission is a road map to clarity and light. — Kate Christensen
Elissa Altman’s glorious new book will allow anyone with a story to share to unlock the obstacles thwarting a full-throated pronouncement of their truths. — Debbie Millman
In Permission, memoirist Elissa Altman offers heartening advice on writing about traumatic family history….Full of stories drawn from Altman’s life and other authors' experiences, Permission is an inspirational guide to defusing shame through self-disclosure and claiming the time and focus to write. — Shelf Awareness
MOTHERLAND is available in paperback and audio
Wherever books are sold
Signed bookplates and broadside available
permission is AVAILABLE NOW
from godine books in hardcover, download, and audio
Signed bookplates available
Read an excerpt from Permission in poets & WRITERS
“Motherland is gorgeous ... A complicated work of lyrically-wrought prose with a quiet surprise on ever page. ”
“Elissa Altman is a beautiful, big-hearted writer who mines her most central subject: her gorgeous, tempestuous, difficult mother and the terrain of their shared life. The result is a testament to the power of love and family. ”
Photo by Gentl + Hyers
Available wherever books and downloads are sold